Hospice Care

Choosing a hospice is a personal decision. Whether you are looking for hospice care for yourself or a loved one, it is important to find out about what services each hospice in your area offers. You may want to request services from a particular hospice and can communicate that wish to your physician.

• How do I decide if hospice is the appropriate care choice for me?
• How do I choose among different hospice programs?
• Are all hospices the same?

What to Look for in Hospice Care

These are common questions for patients and loved ones facing life-threatening illnesses. Determining if a hospice is right for you may best be learned from interviewing different hospices and talking to those you trust who are familiar with hospice programs in your area. Resources for information about hospice care in your community include:

• Physicians, nurse, and other healthcare professionals;
• Social workers, clergy, and other counselors;
• Friends or neighbors who have had direct experience with hospice care;
• Are Care Companions specially trained to understand and work with memory-impaired clients?
• Local or state Office on Aging or senior centers;
• Various medical and health-related Internet sites;
• Your local yellow pages or directory information;
• National Hospice and Palliative Care Organization's HelpLine (800)568-8898 can help you find a hospice in your communityor visit the website www.caringinfo.org.

Questions to Ask When Choosing a Hospice Program

• Hospice care is a philosophy of care that accepts dying as a natural part of life. When death is inevitable, hospice seeks neither to hasten nor postpone it. Below is a list of questions you should consider when looking for a hospice program.
• What services are provided?
• What kind of support is available to the family/caregiver?
• What roles do the attending physician and hospice play?
• What does the hospice volunteer do?
• How does hospice work to keep the patient comfortable?
• How are services provided after hours?
• How and where does hospice provide short-term inpatient care?
• Can hospice be brought into a nursing home or long-term care facility?

How do I ensure that quality hospice care is provided?

• Many hospices use tools to evaluate how well they are doing in relation to quality hospice standards. In addition, most programs conduct family satisfaction surveys to get feedback on the performance of their programs. To assist hospice programs in these efforts, the National Hospice and Palliative Care Organization has developed recommended standards entitled 'Standards of Practice for Hospice Programs as one means of self- and field-evaluation. www.caringinfo.org.